Hello everyone!!
I have decided to create a blog in honor of my sweet little girl, Melody Rose. She was diagnosed this past August with severe classic autism. This blog is to keep our friends and family updated on her progress and how life goes in a home with our sweet girls.

I have created 'Melody's story' on here for any of you unfamiliar to read about her and how we got to where we are. I want this blog to be a place of, well, HOPE. Hope for Melody- hope that she can be happy, healthy, and that she can have everything she wants in life and more. Hope also for the millions of parents, children, adults, and families coping with autism spectrum disorder.

In many ways, Melody is just a typical 3 year old girl. She loves pretty shoes, hair bows, dresses, and Elmo. She loves her mommy, daddy, and sometimes her sister ;). But then sometimes happens that shakes her routine, or you talk to her, even just to ask her name, and it becomes clear. The sensory overload of your very presence might be enough to send her in to a meltdown. Don't take it personally- it might just be what you're wearing, the colors of your shirt- your posture. It might be your voice. My beautiful, happy girl, becomes so overwhelmed with things we hardly notice. But to her, it's painful- the feeling of the ground beneath her feet- the bright light of the sun- the uncertainty of a stranger. Let me repeat, It's nothing you're doing! It's no one's fault. Something about the way her brain is wired makes her nerves sensitive. She needs hugs- lots of them, and sometimes the intensity of having her head squeezed. She seeks that affection because it's not only good to feel loved but to feel balanced. She has auditory processing disorder. Your words may not make sense to her if there are external forces. She usually needs a visual prompt to understand. She thinks in pictures. She sometimes listens better when she isn't looking at you. She won't always look in your eyes. That's okay with her- as long as it's okay with you. When sensory signals fire off, Melody is in fight or flight mode. Autism isn't an excuse for poor behavior or throwing a fit- but sometimes it's not a fit- sometimes she really is just so overwhelmed. That's what we need our friends and family to see and to understand. Sometimes we get flustered. Please be patient with us and with our little girl. I know your children might feel offended if she doesn't play with them- but she just doesn't understand how to play nor desires it most of the time. Please help your child not feel offended by explaining that it's no one's fault and that her brain just thinks differently. Sometimes her brain can't process other people like we can.

I myself have some type of social anxiety. I literally feel exhausted and overwhelmed when I am in the company of too many people for too long. I really thought something was just wrong with me until I started learning more about the social difficulties with autism and it helped me see that this is more common than we think. A lot of people have sensory issues- they just are not as extreme as those with ASD.

So, with all that being said, this page will serve as updates on her progress, and some of my own musings :) Happy holidays everyone!